The present invention is generally directed to office furniture and, more particularly, to a support structure, such as a desk or table, having a vertical member, such as a privacy screen, the height of which can be adjusted in a tool-less manner relative to the support structure.
Office cubicles have long been used to maximize the number of workstations within a given office space. Cubicles provide a relatively private space that can be used by temporary and permanent office personnel as a primary workstation. The walls of a cubicle are typically secured to the floor in a semi-permanent manner. Notwithstanding the proliferation of cubicles as an efficient way of maximize office space, companies are increasingly shunning cubicles in favor of more open space designs.
In these open space designs or layouts, desks are simply arranged around an office space. Space between desks, rather than walls, define each workstation. Studies have suggested that such open space layouts improve employee performance and morale as well as promote teamwork. The very concept that provides such advantages, e.g., wall-less workstations, can also be problematic in some instances. That is, in some circumstances, an employee may desire the privacy that a walled workstation, i.e., a cubicle, can provide. To accommodate such instances, desks and tables have been designed that include privacy screens that can be used, when desired, to provide a wall-like structure. Some such desks are designed such that the screen may be mounted at various heights to allow a user some leeway in setting the height of the screen. More particularly, fasteners, such as bolts, screws, or similar devices, are used to mount the screen to the desk. To reposition the screen, the user must unfasten the fasteners, set the screen to a new desired height, and then refasten the fasteners. Given the weight and size of the privacy screens, it can take two or more people to reposition the screen.